Teaching German

Environment

Awareness tastes good

Choosing what you put on your plate is not only a matter of choice and health. The origin and the amount of what you eat may have a serious impact on global climate.

October 16, 2013 is World Food Day. The date marks the anniversary of the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization by the United Nations in 1945. The day is celebrated widely by many other organisations concerned with food security, including the World Food Program.

A lot of research is currently being done on the environmental impact of our food. For instance, Dutch researchers have recently showed the world their long-awaited test tube burger, made from the muscle cells of cows. This technology could reduce the amount of land, energy and water required by traditional livestock farming.

Germans consume a particularly high amount of meat. A recent WWF report said if each German ate one less hamburger a week, the reduction in meat consumption would save the equivalent of emissions produced by driving 75 billion kilometers by car.

But even in the land of bratwursts and schnitzels, people are thinking more about what they choose to eat. Being vegan, which means an animal product-free lifestyle, is gaining popularity in the country.

The consumption of fish is also on the agenda. While the "SlowFisch" movement tries to encourage sustainable fishing practices in Germany, where people eat around 15 kilograms of fish every year, the EU Parliament is still concerned about overfished waters.

In this special World Food Day dossier, DW has a closer look at the newest food trends which can help our environment.